Improvement in corn-planters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

c. c. UDELL, or MORRIS, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEM ENT IN QORN-PLANTE'RS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,594, dated June 28,1859.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALVIN G. UDELL, of the city of Morris, in thecounty of Grundy and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in seeddroppers for dropping corn or other seedinsquares or check-rows without previously marking the ground; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings and .the letters of referencemarked thereon, in which i Figure 1 is a perspective view. frontelevation. Fig. 3 is a plan. an end view. Fig. 6 is a section of a brushand holder, drawn full size. Fig. 7 is a full-sized plan of the socketin which the bristles are inserted. Fig. 8 is a plan of theconnecting-bars. Fig. 9 is a plan of the valve-slides. Fig. 10 is a planof the pieces inserted in the valve-slides, containing thedifferent-sized openings, which serve as seed-measurers. Fig. 11 is aplan of the handles or levers. Fig. 12 is a plan of the standard. Fig.13 is a plan of the bracket by which the standard is attachedto theseedboX.

A is a seed-box with a cover on the top. The seedbox is formed byconnecting four tubes, B B B B, by two side pieces in such a manner thatthe upper sides of the outer and longer tubes, by being bent, form theend inclosures, and the under sides of the inner tubes Fig. 2 is a Fig.4 is m form the floor or bottom of the seed-box. The

upper sides of the shorter tubes extend nearly through the seed-box inan upward direction and form partitions O O in the same. An oblongpiece, D, passes from near thetop through the center to the bottom ofthe side pieces of the seed-box, which forms a third partition, and alsostrengthens the machine by being secured to the side pieces of the saidbox. The tubesthe two inner and shorter of which are made larger intheir lateral dimension at their upper ends, so that all may hold equalquantities-diverge laterally and downward from the box, so as to end atcertain distances from each other, corresponding to the distance whichit is intended to drop the rows of seed. At their lower ends, where theyunite with the connecting-bars E E, they are enlarged, so as to formcavities for brushes and the working of the valves hereinafterdescribed.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section.

The conn ecting-bars are oblong pieces, made of any suitable material,forming seats for the valve-slides F F, connecting the tubes on eachside, holding them in their proper position, and extending beyond theouter tubes suitable distances, for the purposes hereinafter described,outwardly, so as to guard the valveslides, which are moved inward andoutward by the motion of the levers or handles Gr G, the ends of whichpass through oblong openings of suitable length near the inner ends ofthe connecting-bars, which openings limit the motion of the handles orlevers outward and inward, and hence that of the valve-slides, to theproper points for the valves to fill and discharge each time the leversare moved. Each connecting-bar has two openings for the discharge ofseed.

The valve-slides F F are made of nearly the same length as theconnecting bars which form their seats, extending through the cavitiesat the bottom of the tubes, through apertures for that purpose, and haveeach an opening near their inner ends, through which pass the lower endsof the levers or handles. Each of the valve-slides has two oblongopeningsone under the end of each tubeinto which openings are fittedslats having different openings, which serve as seed-measurers. versingthe ends of these slats either the larger or smaller openings may bemade to pass under the seed-cavities. In eachv seed-cavity at the bottomof the tubes is a brush-holder, H,

inserted over the valve-slide and closing up 7 the opening in the sideof the cavity, having a foot on each side resting on the connectingbar.In each of theseholders is abrush inserted in a metallic socket. (SeeFig. 7.) The hold ers are held in their places by screws driven throughthe sides of the tubes. By drawing these screws the brushes may beliberated and taken out for adjustment.

The handles or levers are made so as to straddle the tubes on eitherside, and are pivoted to the shorter tubes by pins passing through thesides of the tubes. At the bot-tom the sides of the handles are united,so as to pass through the openings in the ends of the valveslides andthe oblong openings in the connecting-bars, and act as levers forworking the valves. At the top the front sides of the handles are curvedforward of the tubes for the double purpose of admitting the hands andto By rebalance the machine by counterbalancing the weight of themeasuring-rods and marker hereinafter described. The sides of the innershape that it leans forward, so as to be out of the way of the operator.

L L are measuring-rods secured to the two brush-holders in the innertubes, and extending horizontally and diagonally toward each other,meeting at their front ends, thus form ing a measure. Through the endsof these bars, where they meet, passes the rod M, which is used forthree purposes: First, its lower end serves as a third leg to themachine; second, it marks the distance which the operator should movethe machine forward each time; third, its upper end, in connection withthe standard K, forms a guide by'which the line of apertures for thedischarge of seed is kept at right angles to a line from the operator tothe point where the rows should terminate. N is a bar extending from thetop of the standard to the top of the rod M to keep the rod in itsproper position. The measuring-rods, marker, and guide are still furtherbraced by cords,

.one of which, 0, is tied to a screw in one of the short tubes, andpasses to the top of the rod M, around which it is wound, thence to ascrew in the other short tube. Another cord, P, is tied around the frontends of the measuring-rods and the rod M, and extends to the standard K,to which it is tied near the top of the seed-box.

Lightness being desirable in the construction of my machine, white pineor any other material may be used. The handles and brushholders may bemade of wood or iron. The

sockets in which the bristles are inserted may i be cast of any softmetal.

from where I commence to operate, at a point half-way between where Iwant to drop the second and third rows. I also set a stake on the sideof the field where I commence, at the point half-way between where Iwant to drop the second and third rows in returning. I

then set the machine down, taking care that the standard and rod infront are in line with the stake on the opposite side of the field. Thevalves being closed, the seed falls into the openings, and is ready tobe discharged by pressing the tops of the levers or handles outward, the

openings containing the seed in the meantime passing under the brushes,which sweep off all surplus seed which may rest over them. Then closingthe valves by pressing the handles inward, I am ready to move themachine forward over the mark made by'the foot of the marking-rod, whenI proceed as before, taking care to set the machine down so that thestandard and 'markingrod are in line with the stake to- I ward which Iamoperating, and the center of the machine directly oyer the mark made bythe rod the last time the machine was set down. After operating acrossthe field in this way I turn the machine around, set it down at a properdistance from the last row, the standard and rod, as before, in linewith the stake at the opposite side of the field, and the ma chine atsuch a point that the four hills last dropped will be in line with thefirst four hills in the returning-rows. I then proceed as before, themarking-rod each time leaving a mark in' line with the next transverserow. Each time before starting the stake must be reset, so as to guidethe operator in returning.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement of the grain -box A, tubes B B, connecting-bars E E,and legs I I, the whole being constructed and operated substantially inthe manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the above, the measure L L, marking-rod M, andguide K, the whole being constructed and operated substantially in themanner and for the purpose set forth.

CALVIN G. UDELL. Witnesses:

EDEN A. BALDWIN, M. J. GooLD.

